HOUSE OF GLASS by Sarah Pekkanen
This is my first book by Sarah Pekkanen, but certainly will not be the last. She has created a well written thriller that has a solid storyline, with plenty of twists and turns. Just when you think that you have a handle on who murdered the nanny, it goes off in another direction and makes you think something else. Stella is an attorney who is also a child advocate. She is looking into the problem of deciding which parent gets custody of the nine year old who witnessed her nanny being murdered and was rendered mute. This is 4 stars.
I listened to the audio version of this and Laura Benanti is the narrator and she does a good job with the voices.

(3.5 stars) House of Glass is a slow burn domestic suspense/thriller. If that’s your jam, you will love this book. I’ve decided that this just isn’t my kind of story, so take my review with a grain of salt.

There are two main plots going on here. The Barclays have filed for divorce and Stella, a BIA lawyer (Best Interest Attorney) has been assigned the case, because a 9-year-old girl is involved and both parents want custody. The kicker is that their live-in nanny, Tina, has died under suspicious circumstances and the little girl, Rose, has gone mute, refusing to speak at all. Was Tina’s death a tragic accident or something more sinister? The second plot point highlights Stella’s own childhood trauma. Her father died young in a car accident and her mother died shortly afterwards and Stella went mute for a while. Stella never learned what really happened to her mother, since she was so young at the time. So… is Stella the perfect BIA or is her appointment to this case totally inappropriate? You decide.

None of the characters were particularly likable, but that’s not that unusual in a story like this one. I didn't feel that the revelations for both plots were very surprising.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient, and allowed me to continue with the story even when I could not sit down and read - or when I could not listen. The audiobook was nicely narrated by Laura Benanti.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher for my arc!

This was so good. I half expected this to be like a take on "The Omen or The Orphan" with creepy kids but it turned out to be so much more. Fast pace and an ending that will leave you speechless. I Highly Recommend House of Glass.

This is the first book I have read by Sarah Pekkanen but it won't be the last. Thank you kindly to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the digital review copy. This story is one you just can't put down and want to keep reading to find out what really happened to the Nanny. This story has so many twists and turns and leads you down so many different paths that it keeps you guessing what really happened. I really enjoyed this book and I know that everyone who reads it won't be disappointed.

Sarah Pekkanen's **House of Glass** is a gripping atmospheric domestic thriller where the lawyer brought in to advocate for a child in a murder case becomes enmeshed in the Barclay household’s bizarre family dynamic. They seem like the perfect mother, father, and grandma living in a gorgeous home until the nanny is pushed out a window and the little girl stops talking. The more Stella gets to know the family, the more she realizes any one of them could have killed the nanny, especially the nine-year-old girl who is tucking shards of glass in her pockets.

Pekkanen excels at building a suffocating atmosphere. The more Stella delves into the family dynamics, the more suspicion falls on every member. The plot is almost too tightly woven. Like a classic mystery, nothing is superfluous. When Stella was thinking about how her own traumatic childhood will help her empathize with her young client, I knew it wasn’t going to be that simple. There were clues embedded in her memories that would solve the mystery of the nanny’s murder and resolve some of Stella’s questions about her mother’s death.

I’ve read quite a few of Sarah Pekkanen’s novels, as well as all the thrillers she co-wrote with Greer Hendricks, and they never disappoint. The characters are always multi-dimensional and the plots are reliably twisty.

I really loved this book! It felt cheesy at first, but I became hooked after the first couple of chapters. What a wild ride.

I will forever keep Pekkanen's work on my TBR.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A solid 4 stars but I wish I could give it 4.5 stars. This one is a clever, interesting, and engaging whodunit. But in addition to a murder mystery, Sarah Pekkanen gives us childhood trauma, family secrets, marriage struggles, and even a taste of sexuality! You would think that’s too much to fit into 352 pages, but it was very well done. Worth a read FOR SURE.

Right from the start I was pulled into this plot. I feel like I have never read a story similar to this and I was definitely intrigued!

The Barclays seem like the perfect family in a perfect house, until one day their nanny falls to her death. Stella is a lawyer trying to investigate what happened and she discovers that everyone in the home has secrets, especially nine-year-old, Rose, who has a thing for collecting sharp objects.

This case is also very close to Stella, as there are many similarities and parallels to her mother’s death, which is also unsolved and she has many questions. She was a child around Rose’s age when it happened, and experienced similar trauma traits that Rose has now, but are they for the same reasons?

This was such an interesting psychological thriller that also brought out some emotion while reading some of the characters healing journeys. I really enjoyed that aspect and feel like Sarah Pekkanen always has that greater meaning and importance of relationships in her novels, which I really enjoy and makes you as the reader feel like you can connect to the characters, which isn’t often in a thriller style book!

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my advanced copy!

my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🥳pub day: August 6/2024

I was kept guessing until the very end of the book. I expected twists and turns and this book delivered. I really enjoyed trying to figure out who was the murdered, if anyone throughout the book. The characters were all interesting and left me guessing with each chapter.

I liked this book a lot. You think you know what is going to happen and then you don't. Then, as you continue, you think you have it, and then again, it surprises you. NOTHING is as it seems. The chapters are short and keep you wanting more. There is some filler in there, but it's not awful. The story is really well written. I want to give it a 5 ⭐️ rating, but my gut is saying 4.5 ⭐️

This book will be available on August 6. 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this story ahead of the release date.

The main plot of House of Glass revolves around a custody dispute during the divorce of two wealthy people. Main character Stella is an attorney and has been hired to represent the couple's child Rose. It's Stella's job to spend time with the family and then give her recommendation to the court on what she thinks would be best for Rose. Unfortunately the task will be more difficult than usual, as Rose has not spoken a word after witnessing her nanny falling to her death out of her window. Stella experienced a similar traumatic mutism in her childhood, and with flashbacks we get a subplot of a mystery surrounding her own mother.

I was intrigued by the premise right away. Rose was eerie and I enjoy a good creepy child story every now and then. One of my favorite old movies is called The Bad Seed and it was giving that kind of vibe. I've seen many five star reviews for this one but it just didn't wow me. I wasn't as interested in Stella's past story so every time it switched back I think I lost interest. The main mystery had a good resolution but personally I thought it was predictable. But overall I liked it, it was a quick listen, and I think many others will love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I had an absolute blast with this one. I love thrillers where EVERYONE is a suspect, because you’re always on edge. And involving possible murderous children? Yep, I’m on edge alright.

I’m not going to say whether I saw the end coming or not, because I don’t really let that affect my rating. (I’ve read too many thrillers at this point to not solve the whodunits anymore; I’m just happy as long as I don’t predict it from the premise alone.) But with more than a couple suspects, I never really knew for sure. And I do love being surprised with other twists and turns along the way.

The pacing of this book was perfect. I usually need dual POV or timelines in books to break things up and keep my focus, but despite this book having neither (except for some flashbacks), I couldn’t put it - or my headphones- down. (Okay I mean I did have to eventually as I work and have two little ones, but I listened to this in all my free time outside of that.)

This is a must read if you’re a fellow thriller lover, and a good one to try if you’re thinking about dipping your metaphorical toes in the metaphorical water!

House of Glass is another hit for Sarah Pekkanen! Fast-paced and twisty, I loved every minute of this wild and crazy ride!

Stella Hudson is a best interested attorney who normally works with teenagers due to her own trauma as a young child, but when a mentor and trusted friend recommends her as the best person to take on the case for 9 year old Rose Barclay she trusts his judgement.

But Stella quickly feels like things aren't what they seem at the Barclay house. Rose had witness the death, and possible murder, of her nanny and is no longer speaking as her parents are going through their divorce. Stella tries to connect and communicate with Rose while conveying she is on her side, but there are so many odd things going on. Why is there no glass in the house, what are the odd noises she is hearing, and why does it seem like no one in the family is being completely honest?

As Stella tries to figure out what's best for Rose, this case also prompts her to work with the Detective investigating the Nanny's murder to not only see if there is more information to resolve that case, but also dig deeper into her own mother's death years ago.

I enjoyed the book a lot! There were a lot of things going on, but they blended well together. And I did not see the twist coming until the moment before it was revealed! Thanks to NetGalley for the advance e-book copy!

HOUSE OF GLASS was a great thriller read. It was my first book by this author and it won’t be my last. There were some parts of the novel that I wasn’t as invested in, but it had all the hallmarks of a good thriller novel, which makes it worth the read.

I found this book to be a very character centered thriller, focusing on Stella, a child advocate who is trying to help Rose, who’s nanny died her family’s property. There is family drama and secrets that kept me guessing the whole time. Each character was progressively more complex while Stella tries to figure out the family’s dynamic. It also kept me guessing, which was delightful. I always love when I don’t know who is doing what and the mystery surrounding people’s intentions. I think that’s why people love this genre so much.

My only qualm with the book is that I don’t really care about Stella’s childhood narrative that was wound throughout the book. I think it gave the character a good backstory, but then it turned into a side plot that didn’t hold my interest and ended up making the book a bit too long. I was much more invested in the main narrative. However, for those that like side plots that explore the main character more, you might like these portions.

Overall, if you like character driven thrillers, with family drama, this is the book for you.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoy Sarah Pekkanen's ability to create fully-fleshed out characters (flaws and all). I usually don't enjoy thrillers with kids/ "creepy kids" in the main plot but now I'm thinking I don't mind it, as long as they are well-integrated into the narrative.
This story even successfully wove-in a subplot with a sprinkle of romance. Too often in these cases, one plot becomes more interesting than the other, causing you to speed thru the other, but not here.
Additionally, this story shows how you can use a smaller cast of characters to make the story thrilling without it being blatantly obvious what's going on- Stella is incredibly sharp and observant and I felt I was able to explore my random theories and conclusions about each character alongside here. So even if you "guessed" the end - there is still a lot of doubt before you get there, which I think is a feat in itself
Lastly, I didn't feel like there were any loose ends - at least not obvious ones that would make the plot convoluted.

DMV rep is also highly enjoyable being a local here.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-Arc.

This is a great summer thriller. Lots of twists and turns, compulsive page-turning while still being easy enough to digest with a few poolside cocktails. If you have enjoyed her previous book The Golden Couple, co-authored with Greer Hendricks, you would enjoy House of Glass. Another title that I think has a similar vibe is A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight, where the protagonist is a lawyer and there are multiple married couples with their own issues. I personally found Stella's past to be a little much, and it took me out of the story a bit. I would recommend to skip over most of the synopsis, because quite a few of the twists are spelled out for you there- but if a dead nanny, messy divorce, and a lawyer who is a mute child's advocate sounds interesting to you, then this is a great pick for you!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted (free) ARC.

I think this might be my favorite Pekkanen thriller so far! Such an interesting concept and characters - I loved the twists and how everything fit pretty well.

Oh my goodness, what a ride this was. Not only is there so much going on with the custody recommendation for Rose, but Stella's own childhood questions are answered as well. This one will keep you constantly on edge and guessing. Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for a chance to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

My favorite Sarah Pekkanen book yet! I couldn’t put this creepy thriller down! I loved the layered characters, the twists, and the atmospheric writing. Thank you so much to St Martin’s Press & netgalley for my copy.